No, I don't think Lent, in and of itself has any power whatsoever. The idea behind why I choose to participate in it does, however.
I've never gone to a church where Lent was of any particular importance, and probably, some, where it would honestly be frowned upon and discouraged. But, my husband and children have grown interested in "celebrating" this season and I have agreed to join the journey.
I find that Lent isn't just for certain types of Christians, but it is an opportunity, just as Christmas is, to remember why we are Christians and to focus on how we can be better ones. It is a time to look at our lives and not just remember that Jesus fasted so let us try to fast also. (Yes I understand there is more to Lent, for many, than that.) For me, it is a time to evaluate my relationship with God. Really any time is, but remember, we celebrate Christmas to remember Jesus' birth and life. We should do that all the time too.
This year I have prayed, "God, what is getting in the way of our relationship?" The thing about God is, if you ask, He'll tell you. And what He spoke to my heart was that I needed to turn off my cell phone while at home.
For the past few months, this idea has lingered in my heart. I had already stopped using it, for the most part, before bed. I was still using it more than I should've during the day.
Since the beginning of Lent, I've chosen to follow God's lead and keep my cell phone off while at home. I've already noticed ways in which it has been a huge blessing and eye opener for me.
For one, I realized that I don't get a lot of calls or texts. I also don't like to use my cell phone when I call people anyway. So keeping it off, at home, really isn't that big of a deal for me.
Another thing I've found is that I have not been using facebook much and no longer feel like I need to have it. I haven't missed much on there. In fact, on average, I only have 3 notifications, if any, each day and I'm lucky if any of them are actually things I'm interested in. I have no desire to scroll through all I've "missed" because most of my feed is made up of hateful extremism with sprinkles of things I actually care about. Though, I could just delete the "friends" who don't post anything that I find worth while, I'd rather just delete facebook and stay in touch through other means, with the people who actually want to stay in touch with me and not just have me on their friends list because we happen to know each other or they just like having more friends regardless of their actual relationship with those "friends."
I've also noticed how little eye contact is made in my home. One of the first things mothers are encouraged to do is make eye contact with their babies. It helps build bonding and strengthens relationships. So, why is there so little eye contact in my home? No wonder there is dysfunction, if we aren't even making the effort to look each other in the eye when communicating! With that knowledge in hand, I've been making a conscious effort to increase the amount of eye contact I have with my children, as well as my husband, to re-build those bonds and relationships. It is proving more difficult than I would've thought, but I'm thankful it has been brought to my attention, so I can do something about it.
On top of these things, we've begun studying "gods at war" at our church. I must say, God is good. This has come at a time when I not only needed it, but am open and ready for it. Idols have been on my mind, a lot, for a while now. I'm not just talking about statues, gods of other faiths and such. An idol is anything that you give place to, above God, in your heart. Anything can be an idol. I knew there were a few lingering in my heart and even pegged some, such as facebook. After all, I used it as soon as I woke up and dedicated time to it throughout the day, all day! What I hadn't thought much about were all the other idols lurking about my heart.
God is answering my prayer. "Show me how to overcome the things that are between us, Lord." And I know He loves me. I know He has called me by name. The evidence is ever present. He wants a relationship with me, more than I could imagine, and it thrills Him, that I want to pursue that relationship and strengthen my end of it.
The truth is, He loves each of us in this powerful way. As a husband desires the attention of his wife, a father desires time with his children, so God desires a personal relationship with each of us. And though that may seem impossible, the truth is, NOTHING is impossible with God.
So I ask you. What is in the way of your relationship with God? What has come between you and Him? What idols have taken over your heart?
I highly recommend checking out the "gods at war" book, bible study dvd, and companion journal. Whether you do it on your own, or with a group of friends or church family.
